Tim Tszyu does not hold feelings of trepidation around his father Kostya’s presence at his IBF world title fight on Sunday, unlike the night of his boxing debut nine years ago.
Tszyu spoke to Nine’s Today on Thursday morning ahead of the clash with champion Bakhram Murtazaliev and expressed optimism around his father’s attendance.
It hasn’t always been that way for the younger Tszyu, after Kostya was an overbearing presence during Tim’s professional debut against Zoran Cassady at the SCG in 2016.
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The boxing Hall-of-Famer yelled instructions from ringside and Tim said after the fight it was a chaotic experience and a distraction more than anything else.
But as he’s gained experience on the way to a 24-1 record, with his only blemish being the luckless loss to Sebastian Fundora earlier this year which was heavily impacted by the monster cut Tszyu suffered, he says he can’t wait to have his father present.
“Dad came for my first fight,” Tszy told Nine’s Today. “To be there for me fighting for my second world title on the big stage to have Dad by my side it means the world.”
Australia’s most famous boxing family has worn the rigours of the sport inside and outside the boxing ring.
After Kostya’s soul-destroying defeat to Ricky Hatton in Manchester in 2005, the family dynamic for Tim, his brother Nikita, his sister Anastasia and mother Natasha, totally changed.
Kostya losing his world title was like a death had occurred in the family, sending the former champion into a spiral, which led to his retirement from the sport and estrangement from his family.
Kostya no longer wanted to live in Australia and chose to move to Russia, and eventually married a model who had worked as his assistant, starting a new life.
Tszyu told AAP his father’s loss was an extremely difficult time.
“It was a hard part in Dad’s life,” he said.
“So I remember my dad was going through a bit and it was hard for the family. It was very hard.
“Yeah, I remember when Dad lost. I don’t remember the fight too much but I remember it was a real dull-type feeling.”
“In all honesty, I sort of turned on boxing during that time,” he added.
“I didn’t want (anything) to do with it, in all honesty.
“”I wanted to explore other ways, especially when my dad left for Russia and my mum was saying, ‘oh, you gotta do this, you gotta go study, you gotta do that’.
“So I was listening to too many people and I wasn’t my own man, I guess, and I turned on boxing because throughout my whole high school days it was boxing, boxing and boxing, you know, and you miss out on a lot of things.”
After trying to focus on his studies, and enrolling in a business course at UTS, Tszyu quickly found out the academic route was not for him. He started doing personal training work which ultimately led him back to boxing.
After some sparring, he realised he still had the talent to make a fist of it, and went on to train for his professional debut, and the rest is history.
Come Sunday his father will be ringside to witness his chance at becoming a world title holder for a second time, and the vibe is completely different to his debut at the SCG nine years ago.
“It’s not that I need Dad there,” Tszyu added.
“I want him there.
“I think he’s more nervous about behaving himself, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m quite excited.
“It’s a big moment for me and what has changed is the fact that I’ve grown and I know how to eliminate all distractions and it’s not up to who’s around me.
“It’s up to myself.”